Next Ride, Saturday September 15: H Street Festival!

We took a survey late last week about where people would prefer to ride for the September Kidical Mass ride, and it looks like the "H's" have it! We'll taking a very easy ride from Turkey Thicket Rec Center in Brookland to the H Street NE Festival to enjoy the many sights, sounds, smells and tastes that this fabulous street festival offers. The ride will start at Turkey Thicket at 11:15am on Saturday morning and will head down the Met Branch Trail and through NoMa and Near Northeast before finding a place to park on the North side of the H Street NE Festival (I'll try to find out if there will be more bike racks for the Festival).

Since the route is so easy and largely consists of trails, bike lanes and quiet residential streets, this is a GREAT ride for novice cyclists, parents new to cycling with their children, kids, and anyone who wants to practice their street riding skills in a friendly (and slow-moving!) group.

The H Street Festival is one of my favorite street festivals in DC, featuring lots of great food, entertainment for all ages, and booths from fun organizations and vendors, including two of our favorite bike shops, BicycleSPACE and The Daily Rider. You can check out the Washington Post's recommendations on festival highlights here; a list of the performances on the Family Stage is here (scroll down).

As a suggested trip to the National Zoo also saw a late-election surge in last week's poll, we'll be taking a trip there next month. Maybe with an animal-themed costume contest? We'll see!

Date: Saturday, September 15, 2012

Destination: H Street NE Festival, H Street NE from 8th St to 12th St

Meetup Times:

• 11:15am, Turkey Thicket Rec Center (East side of the building, near the parking lot and basketball courts)
• 11:30am, R Street NE @ Met Branch Trail
• 11:45am, J.O. Wilson Elementary School, 6th & K NE
• 12:00noon, arrive at H Street Festival

Total Distance: 3.5 miles, starting from Turkey Thicket

Difficulty: Easy! Bike trail, bike lanes, and residential streets.

Route: Click here for a route map.

Hope to see you there!

E-mail Megan Odett, organizer, at KidicalMassDC@gmail.com with questions.